


These Hands Stained Red

by imagineyou (jokerindisguise), jokerindisguise



Series: More Than Just a Dream [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Other fun surprises I have in store for you all, Reader Insert, Reader is Number Eight, can't spoil them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:01:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25162816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/imagineyou, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/jokerindisguise
Summary: Sequel toTickin' Like a Timebomb. After you managed to successfully stop the apocalypse from happening, you and the other members of The Umbrella Academy are forced to learn how to move on with your lives. You feel like you're finally managing to heal from your time with the Temps Commission and all of the horrors you faced before and after your service to the company, so why can't you shake the feeling that you're still in danger?
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/Reader
Series: More Than Just a Dream [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699261
Comments: 39
Kudos: 104





	1. let's say goodbye, the hundredth time

**Author's Note:**

> As a warning, there will be angst in this fic, but a happy ending. There is also a fourth one planned. The fourth installment will likely be my last piece to this 'verse. (I say that, but I'm terrible at letting things drop.) This obviously will not follow season two canon. Sorry about that.
> 
> Title and chapter titles taken from the song 'Drowning Lessons' by My Chemical Romance. 
> 
> So much thanks to Joz for helping me figure out some of these details and listening to me whine about this. You're the best. 💖

You crept slowly down the hallway, the gun Arthur had gifted you held tight in your grip. The lights in the hallway were flickering, offering eerie shadows that seemed to follow you with each step you took. Every opened doorway yielded an empty room. Darkness greeted you everywhere you looked. 

You felt your breath hitch at the blood spatter that stained the floor just outside of Klaus' door, a trail streaked down the hallway towards the bathroom. 

You were sure your family was no longer in the Academy, so why did you feel like someone was watching you? 

You reached the end of the hallway, but you still didn't see anyone. You glanced down at the trail of blood, wondering if someone was hurt, before the lights cut out completely. 

You stood there in the dark for a moment, listening intently for any sign that you weren't alone. You turned to face back down the hallway, fruitlessly searching for a hint of anything in the darkness. 

The lights turned back on and you jumped when you saw The Handler standing in front of you. There were cracks in her skin spiderwebbing out from her jaw. She tilted her head to the side as she considered you, a sickly-sweet grin on her face as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her face started to deteriorate as she reached a gloved hand out to you, her fingers grasping your arm before she tugged you closer to her. 

"I hope you didn't think we were done," she hissed. 

You jolted awake, your heart beating furiously in your chest. 

You felt Klaus stir beside you. His arm tightened around your waist before he blinked open his eyes, managing to squint at you after a few seconds. "What's wrong?" 

You shook your head, slowly forcing yourself to relax. "Just a bad dream," you dismissed. "Go back to sleep. I’m okay." 

"Okay," Klaus muttered, his eyes already drooping closed as he curled closer into your side. 

You took a deep, shuddering breath. You were used to having nightmares about your time with the Temps Commission, but this one had seemed so real. With each day that passed after the night the apocalypse was supposed to occur, you couldn't help but feel like you had a target on your back. You weren't sure what the Temps Commission planned or what they had in store for you, but you knew there was every possibility they were going to come after you again. 

You managed to slide out of Klaus' hold and roll off of his bed. A tiny smile tugged at your lips as you heard him grumble before he settled down again. You didn't really want to leave the warmth and comfort of Klaus' embrace, but you knew there was no way you would be able to sleep again. Even if you got so desperate as to use your power on yourself, you weren't sure it was a good idea. All you would see once you closed your eyes was more of the same hellish nightmares that had been plaguing you for several nights. 

You moved to curl up in the armchair at the foot of Klaus' bed. You thought back to your nightmare. You always did your best to not think of The Handler, but there in the dark, you couldn't help but focus on her. You weren't sure what happened to her or Hazel. Diego admitted he let Cha-Cha go after nearly killing her, so she probably went back to the company. Hazel had fled, but you weren't sure if he was successful in his attempt to escape. 

A hopeless, discouraging part of you couldn’t help but think there was truly no way to escape the Temps Commission. They seemed endless, and even if The Handler ended up not being a problem anymore, then there would be someone else to fill her place. The company would always find someone else to take over. 

You shivered at the thought and moved to grab the blanket thrown over the back of the chair. You let your head tilt back until you were staring at the ceiling, your eyes seeking patterns in the dark. 

You weren't sure when you managed to drift off again, because it seemed like you shut your eyes for one moment and when you next opened them, daylight was pouring into the room. Klaus was crouched down in front of you, a frown on his face. 

"Hey," he whispered. "Why are you sleeping over here?" 

You groaned as you moved to sit up, your neck sore and stiff from resting at an awkward angle for hours. 

"Bad dream," you answered. "What time is it?" 

"Almost ten," he told you. He held his hands out, pulling you to stand when you took them. "Your student should be ready for you soon." 

You rolled your eyes, nudging him in the side as you brushed past him. "Stop calling her that." 

"Well, you _are_ teaching her, aren't you? What should I call her if not your student?" 

"It's Vanya," you offered helplessly, as if that was the only answer you needed. 

In the month since the apocalypse-that-wasn't and using your ability to wake Vanya from her coma, you had taken to helping Vanya gain control of her power. She had moved back into the Academy in order to be closer in case she needed help. You knew what she was really terrified of was losing control in a place where she couldn’t be stopped. 

Every day, the both of you would go down to the basement level where her former cell was kept and you would attempt to help her gain control of her power. If you didn't end up there, then you went out to the courtyard and set up targets so that Vanya could practice aiming her power. 

After you managed to pull Vanya awake with your power and both of you were discharged from the hospital, you sat Vanya down and had a long talk with her about her power. You knew she blamed herself for what happened, but you assured her that it wasn't her fault. You couldn't imagine what it would have been like to go most of your life not knowing about your powers and then getting hit with the full force of them all within a few days. Add to that learning that the man you had considered your father had been keeping that power a secret and drugging you for years just to keep your power under wraps? Just Reginald Hargreeves' manipulation alone would have had you flipping out. 

Vanya was largely worried about getting lost in her power again, so you came up with a compromise. You would help her learn how to control her power and if she started to get overwhelmed again, then you had her permission to knock her out before she could cause any destruction. 

It was slow-going and while you were making progress, you knew Vanya was starting to get frustrated. 

Before you were supposed to go to your training session with Vanya, you followed Klaus to the kitchen. Grace was always adamant that if you were going to be living under her roof, then you would at least be present for breakfast and dinner. 

It didn’t take you long to eat the breakfast Grace made for you as you watched Klaus contentedly eat his waffles as he murmured to Ben. 

When you were done with your breakfast, you pushed yourself away from the table, making sure to thank Grace for the food. You dropped a kiss to the crown of Klaus' head, smirking when he immediately reeled you in to plant a kiss on your lips. You licked away the stray taste of maple syrup on his lips, moaning when you felt him nip at your bottom lip in answer. 

"Even at breakfast? Seriously?" You heard Luther groan from the doorway of the kitchen. "Don't you two ever take a break?" 

"Don't get jealous, Luther," Klaus crooned when he pulled away from you, smirking over at Luther. 

Luther rolled his eyes, looking like he was questioning why he ever agreed to move back into the Academy in the first place. 

Life in the mansion for the past month had felt alarmingly close to the days before Five landed both of you in the apocalypse, but it also had some significant improvements. 

Without Reginald Hargreeves' presence looming over all of you, the Academy started to feel like an actual home. There was no pseudo father figure observing all of you and forcing you to be a team. For the first time, it felt like you could all be a family simply because you wanted to. 

After the apocalypse failed to happen, Luther spiraled into a depression so deep he rarely left his room or his bed for a week. It took Diego and Allison to finally coax him out and into the rest of the Academy and the world in an attempt to get him to start living his life. 

Diego had told Luther one day he needed to get out more and experience new things. The next day, Luther and Klaus left the house and came back several hours later. When you asked Klaus where he'd gone, he admitted that he followed Luther to the community rec center and signed up for various daily classes held there. 

Luther had explained that he knew he needed to find a way to get out of the house until he figured out what he wanted to do with his life and Klaus had simply wanted something to occupy his time to help him remain sober. 

It took a bit of coaxing, but you finally got them to admit that the classes included pottery, baking, and jazzercise. You even suspected there might be an improv class, but you couldn't get Klaus or Luther to fess up to that one. 

You were ultimately happy for Luther, because while it might not have been what Diego had in mind when he encouraged him to get out and live his own life, it seemed to be helping him figure out his interests beyond being a superhero. You were even more proud of Klaus, because he had managed to stay sober through it all. 

And you were immensely grateful for the baking class they had signed up for, because Klaus had discovered an affinity for the hobby. Even though you would never admit it for fear of hurting her feelings, Klaus' lemons squares were truly great enough to rival Grace's. 

"So," you started as you moved to leave the kitchen, brushing past Luther. "What is it today? Still-life painting? Maybe you're going to work on some 'yes and...' scenes?" 

Luther groaned before he rolled his eyes. "We're not taking any acting classes, Y/N. Just drop it." 

You couldn't help but grin at him. "I'll find out eventually, Luther. I know how to make Klaus talk." 

"Boy, does she," Klaus purred, shooting you a wink as he bit into his last bite of breakfast. 

Luther sighed, but failed to comment. 

You decided you were done torturing him for the moment. It was going to be a busy day at the Academy and you knew Vanya was likely waiting for you for her daily training session. 

You met Vanya at the elevator that would take you down to the lower levels. She was clutching her violin in one hand and her bow in the other. 

"You ready?" You asked, reaching out to push the button that would raise the gate of the elevator. 

"As ready as I ever am," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders. 

"You'll do great," you promised. 

Vanya didn't bother to respond, but from the expression on her face, you could tell she didn't believe you. 

Once down in the room that used to house Vanya's cell, you moved to sit down in the armchair you made Luther carry down for you when you first started training Vanya. 

"Any song requests?" Vanya asked wryly, a hint of a smile on her face. 

"Something relaxing," you said, tipping back a bit in the chair until you were almost sprawled in it. 

Vanya nodded her head before she brought the violin up to rest under her chin as she put the bow to the strings. 

You were still a bit surprised every time you saw the violin now. On the night of her concert, while Vanya was consumed by her power, the violin had turned a shocking shade of white. None of you were quite sure why Vanya's power had affected not only the color of the violin, but her clothing as well. It looked as if her power had bled all of the color and life out of the objects around her. Five had surmised that you were all lucky she didn't start draining you all too. 

You glanced to her, seeing her nod, before you reached down and started the metronome where it usually rested by your chair. You saw Vanya take a deep breath before she launched into her usual accompaniment to Moonlight Sonata. You felt a contented smile tug at your lips as you watched her start to play her part to support a piano only she could hear in that moment. 

You watched her carefully for any sign that she was starting to get overwhelmed. Sometimes, she aimed her power at targets or imaginary foes, but you knew that Vanya missed simply playing her violin. It was a form of catharsis for her and until she learned how to play without letting her power take over, she couldn't turn to her music when she really needed it. 

When you noticed the waves of energy start to pour off of her, you softly called her name. She cracked open an eye and glanced at you, shooting you a reassuring smile. 

You sat forward in your seat, keeping an eye on her. Every so often, you called her name, waiting to make sure she was still fully aware of what she was doing. When she no longer seemed to hear you, her eyes closed and power reacting to the music she was creating in full force, you began to form a force field around her. Once she was surrounded, you sent her to sleep, wincing when her violin clattered to the floor as she followed. 

You grit your teeth against the feeling of her power hitting the sides of your force field. You weren't sure if you were building up a tolerance to having Vanya's power colliding with yours, but you knew your head hurt a little less each time you had to use it against her. 

You dropped your force field once her power dissipated and stood from the chair. You crossed the floor over to Vanya, reaching out with your power to gently pull her awake. 

You saw her lashes flutter against her cheeks for a moment before she opened her eyes. She groaned when she noticed you standing over her, waiting for her. "I thought I had it that time." 

"You lasted a little longer," you pointed out. "That's progress." 

Vanya's lips pulled down in a frown before she shook her head. "Barely," she grumbled. 

You reached out a hand and pulled Vanya from the floor. "Again?" 

"I don't know," she answered. She sighed as she glanced away from you, considering her violin and bow resting on the floor. 

"You can do this," you assured Vanya. 

"It's been a month and I feel like I'm still struggling," she said as she bent down to pick up her instrument. 

"That's only to be expected, Vanya. _One month_ ," you stressed. "We all had years to get used to our powers. And, I mean, you have one of the most potent powers on the team. It's going to take time and patience." 

"What if we don't have time? What if there's another apocalypse or another bad guy and I'm virtually useless again?" There was a bitter note to her voice as she stood, her violin and bow once again in her grasp. 

"You're not useless," you argued. "Your power just requires a little work. There's nothing wrong with that." 

Vanya's shoulders slumped as if in defeat. "I feel like I'm never going to have control." 

"You will get it," you insisted. You sighed as you glanced around the room. It suddenly seemed gloomy without Vanya's power gradually brightening it. "Do you want to go by Fighting Lion instead? We can work on sparring with Diego? Or we can go out to the courtyard? Maybe we can work on your aim again." 

"No," she immediately refuted. "Allison is getting in later and I don't want to be exhausted when she does." 

"Fair enough," you conceded. "Once more?" 

Vanya nodded her head and closed her eyes, attempting to harness her power yet again. 

Once you woke Vanya up after her second attempt, you called off the lesson and directed her into some breathing exercises to help her when she needed to stay calm. Once you were done, you pulled her into a hug, assuring her that you would go twice as hard the next day. 

Usually, you spent hours working with Vanya, but today was special. Allison was coming back to the Academy after being gone for two weeks. You knew a family dinner was planned. Grace was making some of Allison's favorite dishes and Luther had spent a week and a half perfecting a raspberry souffle to try to impress Allison with. You and Klaus had happily tried all of his rejects, trying to assure him that each one was incredible, but he always seemed a little too stressed out to accept the praise. 

After the apocalypse was averted, Allison had left to go back to California. She wanted to see Claire and try to smooth things over with Patrick. You had tried to offer to go with her, but she wouldn't have it. She explained through notes that she needed to face her ex-husband alone and try to quell any fears Claire might have when she saw her mom injured. 

During the week she was gone, Luther had been dealing with depression, his mood falling fast and crashing without a mission or any clear purpose for his life. It wasn't until Diego took to barging into Luther's room and attempting to lecture him about his sudden affinity for staying in bed all day that Luther started to come around. But what really convinced him to start attempting to take better care of himself was Allison coming back with Claire to visit. 

Allison had explained to all of you that she wanted her daughter to meet the people who saved the world. You felt so incredibly happy for Allison when you saw the proud look on her face as Claire stared in awe at the Academy and the rest of the family. You knew it was a big deal for Allison to introduce her daughter, the most important person in her life, to the family. All of you had secretly resolved to make sure Claire had the best possible visit to make things easier for Allison. 

Claire had asked for a demonstration of everyone's powers, and while Allison had hastily scribbled out a message saying none of you had to indulge her request, you suspected that all of you had secretly enjoyed showing off for Claire. 

Claire had sat on one of the couches in the living room and watched in rapt fascination as you all put on a show for her. 

Luther had lifted a couch effortlessly, his mood seeming to brighten when a smile broke out on Claire's face and she pointed out random items around the living room she wanted to test against Luther's strength. Diego let Claire pick out targets for him to throw his knives at and Klaus had managed to conjure Ben long enough for him to smile and wave at Claire. Five took to using his power to jump around the room while you took delight in sending Diego to sleep from across the room. 

What you loved, though, was that Claire seemed to be absolutely captivated by Vanya and it wasn't because of her power. It was because of her music. 

When Vanya had shot you a worried glance, her violin and bow held tightly in her grasp, you nodded at her in encouragement. It wouldn't hurt for her to play one of the shorter pieces for Claire, and if anything happened, you were right there to help her. With a nervous sigh, Vanya had picked up her instrument and launched into a short, sweet melody that had Claire enraptured from the very beginning. 

Claire had kept requesting more music and Vanya cautiously obliged, only taking breaks when her power seemed to start getting the best of her. 

Claire was at the Academy for a week with Allison. During that time, Luther managed to venture out of his room more, finally taking to heart Diego's advice about moving on with his life and becoming his own person. 

Even though Allison couldn't speak yet, Grace had assured her that it would happen. Once Grace gave her the all-clear, Allison started working on gaining her voice back. Usually all she could manage were raspy whispers and ghosts of sounds, but every so often, she managed to voice a word or two. In the meantime, whenever she called the mansion while she was in California sorting out her life and failed marriage, she would have Claire speak for her. 

You found it adorable whenever Klaus had the phone, because he wound up rambling about anything and everything and Claire soaked it all in. Usually, he updated her on his antics throughout the week, which included anecdotes such as his attempt to reenact the famous pottery scene from the movie Ghost with Luther and almost getting kicked out of the class or his quest to make the perfect batch of brownies. 

You felt like you were all finally healing for the first time in your lives. In only a month, all of you had made some form of progress. All of you were moving on with your lives in some way. 

Of course, there were the moments that reminded you that your lives would never be easy, such as when you had to hold a funeral for Pogo. Klaus had held you during the memorial service while tears streamed down your face, feeling guilty for the hand you unintentionally played in Pogo’s death. 

However, with Reginald and Pogo dead, Grace had taken over the household, managing to keep you all in line. She seemed to enjoy having you all back in the mansion and took to planning extravagant family dinners each week in an attempt to get everyone in one room again. 

For the first time in a long time, you didn't feel so broken. You carried so many scars from your childhood and years stuck in the apocalypse and your service to the Temps Commission. Once the apocalypse was seemingly averted, you felt like you could finally breathe again. 

When you got back upstairs after your training session with Vanya, you found Diego in the living room. He was standing in front of the fireplace, frowning up at the portrait of Five still hanging there, but he turned to consider you when he heard your footsteps approaching him. 

"A little early for dinner, aren't you?" You couldn’t help but wonder why he was keeping to himself in the living room when he usually sought out Grace or someone else the second he stepped foot in the mansion. 

Diego shrugged his shoulders as he idly flipped a knife over and over in his hand. "Patch is working some big case and she won't let me take a look at the files. Yet," he added after a few moments. 

"And how is Eudora?" You asked with a smirk on your face. 

Diego rolled his eyes, but he didn't seem too annoyed by your teasing. "She's fine," he answered as he moved to sit down in one of the armchairs near the fireplace. "Still trying to get me to enroll in the academy again." 

"Well, you know how she feels about your vigilante gig," you pointed out as you moved to sit down on the couch closest to the bar. 

Diego was still moonlighting as a vigilante, but you knew he was seriously considering quitting so it wouldn't be a point of contention between him and Patch. He had confided in you that he wasn't sure he was quite cut out for police work, but he didn't want to keep going off by himself and throwing himself into danger. You had jokingly suggested that there could be a resurgence of The Umbrella Academy, but you suspected by Diego’s silence in answer that he was starting to miss working with a team. 

You stayed in the living room chatting with Diego until Klaus and Luther returned from their class. 

"In here," you called when you heard the front door of the mansion open. 

You saw Luther and Klaus step into the foyer and at the sound of your voice, Klaus immediately turned towards the living room, his eyes seeking you out. You lifted your hand in a wave, wriggling your fingers at him. Klaus grinned at you before he crossed the distance between you and joined you on the couch. 

Luther nodded at Diego as he walked into the living room, his hands clutching an ashtray he must have finished that day. You watched Luther move to sit down on the couch opposite the one you and Klaus were occupying, shooting him a smile when he glanced your way. 

Klaus grabbed your hand and dropped a kiss on the back of it. "How was your lesson with Vanya?" 

"Good," you answered, offering a him pleased smile. "How was class? Was it pottery today?" 

You heard Diego snort. "You two are so domestic now. It's almost sickeningly cute." 

"And how is your lady cop, Diego?" Klaus asked as he threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer into his side. "Are you still too chicken shit to make your move?" 

Diego pointed one of his knives at Klaus. "You don't know what you're talking about." 

"I know you want to make a move and you haven't," Klaus said, a smirk slowly appearing on his face. "And that you're too chicken shit to ask your lady cop on a date." 

"That's not true," Diego argued. 

"What about it isn't true? Unless you have something to announce to the rest of us?" Klaus asked, an amused glint in his eye. 

Diego scowled at Klaus, moving to stand up from his chair. "I'll ask Eudora out when I'm good and ready. We're taking things slow, okay?" 

"Chicken shit," Klaus sang before he winked at you. 

You shook your head and shared an amused glance with Luther as Diego and Klaus began to bicker. 

"That's enough, boys," Grace interrupted from the doorway. "It's time for dinner and I need someone to help set the table." 

Luther stood from the couch and reached out to pat Diego on the back. "Come on, Diego. Let's go help Grace." 

You saw Grace shoot Luther a pleased smile before she turned and walked away, Diego and Luther following after her. 

"You don't have to rile him up, you know," you pointed out to Klaus. 

"I know," he agreed. "But sometimes it's just so much fun." 

You couldn't help but laugh, leaning over to kiss Klaus on the cheek. He turned at the last moment, catching your lips in a kiss. You let yourself get lost in Klaus for a moment, feeling his fingers slowly drifting up your side before he tangled them in your hair, using his hold on you to tilt your head back so he could deepen the kiss. 

"Come on," you said when you finally pulled apart. "We should go get ready for dinner. Grace hates it when we’re late." 

"But we were having so much fun here," Klaus said with a pout. "They can do without us for one little family dinner, can't they?" 

"Do you really want to risk that with our track record?" 

Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes. "I suppose not," he started before he reached out to tug on your arm. "But just give me a few more minutes," he bargained before he moved to pull you under him on the couch. He hovered over you, his eyes taking you in for a few moments before he kissed you again. 

"Seriously, you two?" You heard from the entryway to the foyer. 

You pulled away from Klaus to see Vanya and Allison considering the both of you. 

"Seriously, you two?" Klaus echoed, a scowl on his face. "Can't you see we're busy?" 

Allison quirked an eyebrow at Klaus. 

"She's right," Vanya said, reading Allison's expression. "You two are always _busy_." 

Klaus rolled his eyes again before he reluctantly pushed himself up and off the couch. He held a hand out to you, pulling you to stand at his side when you grabbed it. 

"I'm so glad you're back," you told Allison before you moved to pull her into a hug. 

You felt Allison's arms come up around you before another pair of arms circled the both of you. 

"Ah, group hug," Klaus mused. "Come on, Vanya. Get in on this." 

You heard Vanya laugh before she wrapped one arm around your waist and one around Allison's. You caught Allison’s smile and couldn’t help but offer her one of your own. 

After a few moments, you managed to wriggle out of the hug, staring to feel a bit closed in by the others surrounding you. 

"So, dinner?" You asked, glancing at each of them in turn. "It's probably ready by now." 

"Sounds good," Vanya agreed with a nod. 

You watched her leave the room, Allison by her side, and couldn't help but feel so proud of how far Vanya had come in just one month. 

You felt Klaus' hand slip into yours. "What do you think is on the menu for tonight?" 

"Knowing Grace, it's going to be something way too good for us." 

“Then we better hurry before those animals eat it all,” he said, using his hold on your hand to tug you out of the living room. 

Later, after you were full of food that left you feeling satisfied and sleepy, you sat at the dining room table in contentment, listening to the others catching up. 

"So, Five," you heard Diego start. "How's that book coming?" 

You saw Five share a quick look with Vanya before he glanced at Diego. "Fine," he answered with a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. 

You raised an eyebrow at Five in question, but he simply shook his head. You knew Five had been spending most of his days locked away in his room with Delores. He claimed that he was now retired and looking to live out the rest of his life in peace. Even though both of you knew that peace wasn't likely to ever happen in your lifetime, you were also aware of the fact that Five had acquired a typewriter and was steadfastly working on what he referred to as his 'magnum opus.' 

The one and only person he had actually confided in about his book was Vanya. While it stung that the person who had been your partner through the apocalypse and against the Temps Commission seemingly didn’t trust you enough to let you in on whatever secret he was harboring, you were still glad that it was Vanya he had turned to. You were sure that spending all of those years being shunned by the family had left emotional scars that would never fully heal for Vanya, but you were nearly overjoyed at the fact that everyone was now making an effort to include her in the family dynamic. 

You listened to Vanya talk about her progress with training and Diego discuss the crimes plaguing the city. Allison managed to update everyone on Claire, using the pad of paper and marker kept by her plate throughout dinner in an effort to stay part of the discussion. 

Luther left and came back with the dessert he had spent so long trying to make perfect just for Allison and you felt yourself grin at the pleased smile on her face when she took her first bite. Luther looked so relieved that you couldn't help but reach out and pat him on the shoulder, offering him a smile when he glanced quickly to you. 

After everyone had their fill of dinner and dessert, you all went your separate ways. Diego said he was leaving to go listen to his police scanner, but you had a feeling he was really going off to bother Patch. Vanya, Allison, and Luther retired to the living room and Five went back upstairs to his room. 

"I'm uh," Klaus started, shooting you an uncertain look. "Well, you know," he said, waving a hand towards the hallway that led towards the bedrooms. 

"I know," you told him. You leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm going to go take a bath. Maybe that will help me relax so I’ll sleep better tonight." 

Klaus smirked at you before he placed his hands on your hips, reeling you in until you were pressed against him. "Don't bother getting dressed when you're done," he purred, leaning forward to nip at your jaw. "I know another way to tire you out," he whispered in your ear before pressing a kiss to your neck. 

You brought your arms up to circle around his waist, but he was quick to take a step back. 

"That's not fair," you protested. “Come back.” 

Klaus shook his head, dancing away from your questing fingers. "You go take your bath," he said, sending you a self-satisfied grin as he turned to go. "I've got something to take care of," he reminded you. 

"Hey, Klaus," you called, your voice going soft. "Tell Dave I said hey." 

Klaus' grin softened before he nodded his head. "Will do," he promised, before he turned the corner and left your sight. 

You took a moment to thank Grace for dinner before you made the trek to your room to grab a change of clothes. As you rifled through your clothes, looking for something comfortable to sleep in, you thought of Klaus in his bedroom attempting to conjure Dave. 

Since he had been so successful with manifesting Ben during the battle at the Icarus, Klaus had quickly set his mind to conjuring Dave. It took him a couple of weeks, each day only bringing more frustration when he couldn’t seem to get Dave to come through. Once he finally managed to contact Dave and keep up a connection long enough to catch more than a glimpse of him, Klaus started having nightly talks with him. 

The thought of Klaus talking with Dave every night didn't bother you as much as it might have when you first learned about their relationship. It had taken you a while, but you were finally beginning to heal from the hurt you initially experienced when Klaus had dropped the Dave bombshell on you. 

After you were discharged from the hospital, you and Klaus had managed to have your big relationship talk. You got everything off your chest, including how learning about his relationship with Dave made you feel along with every other issue you had run into over the course of your relationship. In turn, Klaus had gone more in depth about his time in Vietnam and why he turned to Dave. He didn't seem to leave out even one gritty detail. By the end of Klaus' recollection, you couldn't help but feel a little grateful for Dave. Klaus had been dropped into the middle of an active warzone and forced to become a soldier. Dave had been the one to keep him sane and focused. Dave had been the one to anchor him when you were out of reach. In a way, Dave had saved Klaus. Without Dave, you weren’t sure if or how Klaus would have survived his trip to the past. 

By the end of your talk, during which both of you had spent many moments with tears in your eyes, you felt like you had finally found your footing with Klaus again. You felt like you could finally accept what happened and move on with Klaus. Both of you had known at the time it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, but you were both intent on making sure you were more open with each other. 

You smiled to yourself as you grabbed a pair of sleep shorts and t-shirt to sleep in. No matter how much you loved Klaus, there was no way you were going to make the walk from the bathroom to his bedroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around you. You knew you'd never live down the embarrassment if anyone else caught you like that, so you resolved to strip for him as soon as you got to his bedroom. 

You stepped out of your bedroom and turned in the direction of the bathroom. As you got closer to the bathroom, you started to feel like something was off. You had a feeling like you were being watched, but when you glanced around, there was no one else there. 

You frowned as you slowed in your steps, peeking down the hallway in an attempt to see if there was anyone there. When you didn't hear any footsteps or see any evidence to convince you that you weren't alone, you turned back in the direction of the bathroom. 

You had one glimpse of someone standing there before everything went dark.


	2. a kiss goodbye, your twisted shell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not going to lie, this chapter involves some pretty messed up stuff. Warnings include: torture, brainwashing, mind manipulation, and reader being made to do shit she doesn't want to do. If you still feel up to reading after learning that, then please proceed.

As you started to wake up, the absolute agony was what you first noticed. It felt like your head was spinning and with every breath, a sharp stab of pain threatened to leave you breathless. Your mouth was so dry you felt as if you had gone days without anything to drink. You could barely form one coherent thought, much less figure out how to get your eyelids to cooperate enough so you could see what was going on. 

You assumed you had fallen asleep after your family dinner, but then memories started to trickle in. 

You remembered eating dinner. You remembered Klaus going to talk to Dave. You remembered wanting to take a bath. And then nothing. 

You forced your eyes open, squinting around the room. It was a bright white that made you want to immediately close your eyes again, your head throbbing. You felt like everything was just a bit distorted. Like you wanted to be in the center, but were always just one step off to the left, never fully giving you the perspective you sought. 

Your hands were strapped to the arms of the chair you were sitting in. When you tried to move your legs, you found that they wouldn't budge. You tugged on your restraints, trying your best to remain calm, even though you hated the feeling of being trapped. 

Just before you could really start to panic, the door opened. You glanced up to see a man and woman you didn't recognize walking into the room. 

You immediately reached out with your powers, not even entirely sure what you wanted to do to them. There was nothing there, though. Every time you tried to take a peek at their subconscious minds or send them to sleep, there was nothing. You couldn't feel your power. No force fields. No projections of their worst nightmares. Nothing that could be of any use to you. You were powerless. 

"Are you trying to use your power?" The man stepped forward, gracing you with a self-satisfied grin. "I'm afraid you won't be able to do any of your little tricks until we need you to." 

"What are you talking about?" You felt like you were moments away from hyperventilating. You didn't know what was going on. You had been in the Academy and then everything was a blank after that. How did you get here? Where were you? Who took you? And most importantly, what did they want from you? 

"You look a little confused, so let me clear some things up for you," the man offered, still managing to look and sound unbearably smug. "You won't be able to use your powers, because we're drugging you." He leaned forward, reaching out until he could tap his fingers against your inner arm. "We've got you so pumped full of drugs that it will be a wonder if you can use them at all in the next week." 

You snarled at the man, pulling fruitlessly on the cuffs keeping you bound to the chair. 

"You seem to know a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you. Why don’t you start talking?" 

"Oh, I have been rude, haven't I?" The man smirked at you. "Allow me to introduce myself." He put a hand to his chest. "I'm The Director." 

You waited for him to say more, but when he seemed to be waiting for some sort of reaction from you, you shook your head. "What? That's it?" 

He looked oddly offended for a moment before he sighed. "You really never wondered about the hierarchy while you were here?" 

You had a bad feeling about what he meant, but you couldn't help but ask. "Where is here?" 

The Director grinned at you, splaying his arms out to gesture around the room. "Isn’t it obvious? You're at Temps Commission headquarters." 

You closed your eyes, not wanting to look at the man or woman before you. If you closed your eyes, then you could foolishly hope that when you opened them, this would have all been another fucked up nightmare and you would wake up in Klaus' arms. 

"Don't fall asleep on me now," you heard The Director say. "I've got plans for you." 

"Let me guess," you started, finally opening your eyes to glare up at him. "You want me to become an agent again." 

"Yes and no," The Director answered. "You see, we've been watching you. We've been taking notes and making our calculations. And we believe you're our best candidate." 

A part of you really didn't want to know, but another part of you really had to know. "For what?" 

"For our little side project," he said, not bothering to offer anything else. "I'll just wait to reveal what that is later. I feel like it will be more fun that way." 

You snarled at him, your wrists beginning to bleed from your continuous efforts to free yourself. "You know, I think I liked The Handler more. At least she had style." 

The Director sneered at you, putting a hand to his chest as if insulted by your words. "You wound me, sweetheart. Believe me, if The Handler hadn't fucked up and been indisposed, then I would have been more than happy to hand you over to her. This kind of work is beneath me. Asset training," he snorted. "As if I don't have anything better to do," he moaned, sounding like he really was put out by having to even bother talking to you. 

"Asset training? I've already been trained by the Temps Commission," you reminded him. You were hoping if they let you out of the chair, then you could still manage to take them out. You had Temps Commission training, sure, but you had also been working on your combat skills with Diego for months. That had to count for something. If you couldn’t rely on your power to get you out of this situation, then you were hoping all of those months of training and sparring would help you now. 

"Oh, we've got a new mission in mind for you. You see, we're trying out a new program. And you're our first candidate. Well, technically second," he amended, shooting a look at the woman that was standing with her back up against the door, seemingly content to watch The Director talk to you. 

"Who is she? My new partner?" 

"Her? Oh, no. We have someone else in mind for you. Someone loyal to keep you on track." He smiled over at the woman and waved her forward. She moved to stand at his side, watching you with an irritated expression on her face. The Director put a hand on the woman's shoulder, a proud grin on his face. "This is Caprice. She's like you." 

"Like me?" Your mind cycled through all of the possible meanings of that sentence, but it always kept coming back to the most likely one. "She has a power," you surmised, feeling like the situation got worse with every second you spent there. 

"Bingo," The Director sang. "See? I knew you were smart. Five wasn't the only brains in your partnership." 

"Five," you breathed, realizing for the first time that you might not have been the only one taken from the Academy. 

"Oh, he's not here. Not yet," The Director told you, winking at the woman next to him as if they were in on everything together. "But we'll get to that in time. You see, Caprice is different," he informed you, glancing over to the woman at his side. "Where you can manipulate dreams and the subconscious minds of others, Caprice can do a lot of damage to the conscious mind." 

You frowned at The Director. "What the hell are you talking about?" 

"She can do things to your mind," he said, wriggling his fingers at you, as if you would suddenly understand what he meant by the words. "She can take memories. She can take feelings. She can take you and completely wipe everything from that mind of yours that doesn't relate to our cause. She’s going to fix you." 

"Brainwashing?" You asked, your tone illustrating the disbelief you felt at the idea that it was possible. But if you could make people's nightmares literally come to life before them, then surely the idea that Caprice could fundamentally change everything about you with her power wasn't so ludicrous. 

"A blank slate," The Director crowed. "Isn't she magnificent?" 

"Can't say I agree," you muttered, feeling like your head was spinning from the information. You felt like you were going to pass out for one dizzying moment before you blinked up at The Director, finally focusing on him again. 

"Don't be so rude," The Director admonished. "She's standing right here, after all." The Director sighed before crouching down in front of you, as if getting on your level would suddenly make you see eye-to-eye. "She's going to wipe everything that makes you _you_ from that pretty little brain of yours. And when you've lost all sense of free will, then we're going to mold you into the perfect agent." 

"Why?" You bit out, your hands shaking against the arms of the chair. You dug your nails into the armrests in an effort to ground yourself. You couldn’t afford to panic now. If there was a way out of this situation, then you needed to be clear-headed enough to find it. 

"Spoilers," The Director crooned, reaching out to brush the tip of his finger over your nose. "We'll get there in due time." He sighed before he stood up, glancing to Caprice. "I'm going to leave you to it, then. I'll be back to test the results," he said before he turned and walked over to the door. He shot you an amused wink before he opened the door and left. 

Once the door was closed behind him, you looked up at Caprice to see she was standing in front of you, studying you. 

"Please," you tried to plead. "You don't have to do this. If you let me go, then we can take them out together. You don't have to work for them." 

Caprice didn't give any indication that she heard your words. She stayed in her spot for a few more moments, watching you, before a smirk slowly bloomed on her face. "You've got me all wrong," she purred. She leaned forward, putting her hands on either side of your head, making you feel even more trapped than before. "I like working for the company. It's given me everything. A chance to use my power for something worthwhile along with the incentive of winning some fun prizes." She snarled at you, her expression suddenly shifting from fond at the thought of the company to scorn at the sight of you. "You and Five ran. You deserve to be punished." 

"Fuck you," you spat, pulling again on your restraints. This time, you weren't even attempting to escape. You just really wanted to hit her. 

"I know all about you," Caprice said, finally straightening up so she wasn't quite in your face. "You had it good, you know. Mansion and a family. Some of us weren't so lucky. Some of us lived our whole lives feeling like _freaks_." 

"You don't know shit about me," you snapped. 

"I know enough," Caprice said, grinning down at you. "And soon enough, you won't know shit about yourself either. You'll only know what I want you to know." 

You tried to shrink away as she reached out and placed her fingers on your temples. 

"Stop it," you demanded. "What the fuck are you doing?" 

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Now, quiet. You're going to clear your mind and let me _in_." 

You screamed as you felt her invade your mind, seemingly diving deep into your thoughts and memories. 

"Hmm," she hummed, staring down at you with an intense expression on her face, as if she was seeing right into your mind. "No, we won't need that. _That_ certainly won't help us," she said, as if rummaging through the contents of a file drawer and not your mind. 

As Caprice used her power on your mind, you felt like everything went a bit hazy. The headache you woke up with was nothing compared to the excruciating pain of Caprice literally tearing apart your mind. It almost felt as if she had sawed off the top of your head and was picking through your brain with her fingers. You could almost imagine her holding up memories to the light before tossing them aside, judging them irrelevant. 

"That's funny," you heard Caprice mutter. "That's almost exactly what I'm doing to you." 

You grit your teeth against the feeling of her in your mind, trying not to respond. Everything went white for a second and when you came back to yourself, you realized you were screaming. Your throat felt raw and your head felt like it was going to burst. 

After so long of Caprice’s torture, you blacked out. You couldn't see or hear or feel anything for a while, until it felt as if your consciousness came floating back up to the surface. 

Everything felt pleasantly blank and clear when you finally became aware again. Caprice was standing in front of you, but The Director was there too. You tried to remember where you were or why you were strapped to a chair, but your mind didn't seem to want to reach that far. 

"Now, let's see," The Director started, fixing you with an intense stare as he crouched down in front of you. "What's your name?" 

Your mind seemed to be a dizzying void as you tried to recall the information. It felt like you should know that. Shouldn't you know your own name? You tilted your head to the side, attempting to remember something, _anything_ , about yourself. You could remember a man with his hands on your face. He was smiling at you, his green eyes sparkling with mirth as he looked at you. There was such love and devotion for you in his eyes that you couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with him every time you looked at him. 

His name came to you in a rush of memory. _Klaus_. Klaus was the man. Klaus loved you. Klaus was waiting for you. Klaus was counting on you. Klaus _loved_ you. 

You were Y/N. You loved Klaus. You were going to save him. You were going to make sure he knew he was important. You were going to make sure he knew you believed in him. You _loved_ him. 

"Fuck you," you snarled up at The Director before you spat on him. 

The Director chuckled, as if amused, before he pulled a handkerchief from the front pocket of his suit and used it to dab at his face. "I assumed this might happen. I guessed that since your power relies heavily on invading the minds of others, then you might not be so susceptible to Caprice's ability." He sighed, shaking his head, as if disappointed in you. "We prepared for this," he informed you. He glanced to Caprice. "Wipe her again." 

"What? No!" You cried out, horrified at the thought of Caprice in your mind again. 

"We're going to keep doing this until it sticks," The Director said. "It doesn't matter how many tries it takes, we will have you. We're going to take you and keep you here in our service forever, Y/N. But first, we're going to need to make sure you're a blank canvas." 

Caprice winked at The Director. "Don't worry. I'll get it next time." 

"Good," The Director breathed, nodding his head. "We have the time, but I'd rather not like to wait." He moved back towards the door. "I'm going to get her new partner. I think it's time they were reacquainted." 

You could barely focus as Caprice put her fingers back to your temples. 

"Don't worry," she said, smirking down at you. "This will only hurt a lot." 

This time, as Caprice dove back into your mind, you couldn't help but scream. Her attack felt a lot more vicious this time. You could feel her practically ripping apart your memories. You worried that you would never get them back. Who would you be if you didn't even remember yourself? 

You tried to hold onto the idea of Klaus, but it seemed like the harder you tried to keep the memory of him in your grasp, the more determined Caprice was to rip him away from you. 

You found it harder to concentrate. It felt like Caprice was placing a blanket over your mind. Every time you tried to frantically access a memory, it was frustratingly foggy. It all felt just out of your reach, as if Caprice was taking the information and burying it so deep that you would have no hope of ever finding it again. 

By the time The Director came back, you felt like you could hardly breathe through the pain. 

"Hello, hello," The Director called. "How's our asset doing?" 

"I wiped her again," Caprice said. "Let's test her." You felt Caprice lightly slap your cheek. "Open your eyes." 

For one disorienting moment, you couldn't figure out what she meant. Weren't they open? When did you close them? It took you a few moments to finally get them to work, squinting at The Director and Caprice. It didn't take long for you to realize that there was a woman standing behind The Director, watching you with her eyes narrowed. 

"Asset, I want you to meet your new partner." The Director turned and looked to the woman, waving her forward. 

There was something familiar about her. As you watched her watch you, you couldn't help but think that a part of you recognized her. She was dangerous. She hated you. But how did you know that? 

Your gaze traveled down to take in the mask in her hand. You recognized that mask. It was pink and cartoonish and stupid. It had one black floppy ear still attached, the other having been burned off at some point. You knew there was a blue one that went with it. But how did you know that? 

" _This_ is my new partner?" The woman scoffed and shook her head. "This isn't going to work. What's to keep her from trying to kill me? I had enough of that with my last partner." 

"Patience," The Director mused. "You must have patience. In time, she will be the perfect partner." 

The woman shot you a disbelieving look. You didn't like her. It was an immediate, confusing feeling as you stared up at her. The mask. The disdain. The suit she wore. It was all familiar. You knew her. 

"Cha-Cha," you hissed, tugging uselessly on your restraints again. "Diego shouldn't have shown you mercy," you snapped, your memories coming back quicker than you could really handle. 

"Oh, dear," The Director breathed. He glanced to Caprice, a malevolent grin on his face. "It looks like we're just going to have to wipe you again." 

"Just give up already," you told him. "It's not going to work." 

The Director hummed something under his breath before he reached out, grabbing your chin. He forced you to look up at him. "We're going to wipe you until you comply," he muttered. "I've been nice so far, but you don't want to see me truly angry." 

You jerked your chin out of his hold. "Fuck off," you growled. 

"Caprice," The Director summoned. "Do your worst." 

As Caprice moved forward again, you couldn't help but think that the mind was a tricky thing. Sometimes you remembered the things you wanted to forget. Sometimes you forgot the things you wanted to remember. It was so complicated and unknown. Just because Caprice was going into your mind with the express purpose of trying to make you forget yourself, it didn't mean that you had to let her. 

The drugs were still doing their job to suppress your power, but you had always known that you were more than your power. You could fight this. You had to. You would do it for the others. You would do it for Klaus. You promised yourself that you would see him again. You would do whatever it took to be back in his embrace. If that meant suffering through however many rounds of torture in store for you, then so be it. 

You blacked out for Caprice's third round of attempted mind-wiping. It felt like one moment you closed your eyes, anticipating the pain, and the next you were opening them to see The Director's expectant face looking down on you. 

"Let's try this again. I want you to repeat after me." He waited for a moment, as if expecting you to say something. He smiled at you, tilting his head to the side. "I am just an asset." 

When you didn't say anything, he rolled his eyes. 

"I am just an asset," The Director repeated. "Say that for me." 

You blinked up at him, your mind straining to remember why you couldn't comply with a simple demand. It should be easy, right? Just repeat the words and make The Director happy. But something held you back. 

"I am just an asset," The Director ground out, his jaw clenching in anger. "Say it." 

You felt a pained smile tug at your lips. There were pieces and snatches of memories you grasped, willing them to make sense. You weren't just a pawn for their schemes. You had a family. You had a purpose. You had a love. You weren't the mindless tool they wanted you to be. You could still think and feel for yourself. Everything was blurry and distant, sure, but it was all still there. 

You couldn't help the laugh that escaped you then. The Director looked so frustrated and it felt so good knowing that you put that look on his face. 

"Try it again, Caprice," The Director sighed. "And try to get it right this time." 

"Yes, try it again, Caprice," you mocked. "If you've shown me your worst, then I have nothing to worry about. You're just another shitty Temps Commission agent after all." 

Caprice glared at you, fury written in her expression, before she stepped forward again. 

The third time Caprice entered your mind was the worst yet. Or was it the fourth? You were starting to lose track. 

You could feel her trying to strip away your entire being. You were growing weary of the pain. Exhaustion was creeping in around the edges, weakening you against Caprice's attack. 

You knew she was taking away memories and feelings and thoughts. And you realized a part of you was starting to not care. 

By the time Caprice let you go, you couldn't remember why you hated her in the first place. You felt alarmingly hollow, as if your core and insides had been scooped out and dumped on the floor. 

"Now," The Director said, grabbing your attention. "I want you to repeat after me. Do you think you can do that?" 

Hesitantly, you nodded your head. 

"I am just an asset." 

"I am just an asset," you echoed. 

"Good," The Director praised, a pleased grin on his face. "I am just an asset. I will follow orders." 

You repeated The Director's phrase and the three that followed. 

"You're doing a great job," The Director said. "I just have a couple of questions for you." 

You nodded your head, ready to answer. It was your job as an asset to do whatever was needed of you. If that meant answering a few questions, then you would without doubting The Director’s motives. 

"Do you remember your family?" 

You frowned at the question. Did you remember your family? Did you even have a family? A small, confused part of you wasn't even truly sure what a family _was_ anymore. 

"No," you answered honestly. 

"Good," The Director said. "Now, this one is even more important and if you get it right, then I'll let you out of that chair." He waited for you to dip your head in a nod, acknowledging his words, before he spoke again. "What is your name?" 

You searched your mind, trying to recall that information. Did you have a name? What was it? You thought there was a flash of memory, a man standing in front of you, calling you something you couldn't place. Every time you tried to focus on the man, his face seemed to blur and the memory dissipated, leaving you even more confused and alarmingly distressed. 

"Well?" The Director asked, impatience leaking into his tone. 

"Asset?" You asked, unsure of the answer, but feeling like it must be the one he sought from you. 

The Director smirked, his eyes lighting up with joy at your response. "Oh, that is just precious," he cooed. "And the correct answer." 

He reached into the front pocket of his pants and pulled out a remote. He pressed a button and the restraints holding you down snapped open, granting you freedom. You waited for The Director to grace you with an encouraging nod before you pushed yourself out of the chair. 

"Now, we're going to send you on a mission. If Caprice did her job right, then you retained the knowledge of your previous Temps Commission training." 

Caprice nodded, confirming his words. 

"And this is your partner. Do you remember her name?" 

You considered the woman he gestured to. There was something at the back of your mind that insisted you somehow knew her, but nothing was forthcoming. Finally, you shook your head. 

"This is Cha-Cha," The Director introduced, watching you carefully, as if waiting for your reaction. 

You glanced to Cha-Cha, nodding at her in greeting. 

"Huh," she breathed. "I guess it really did work." 

The Director looked pleased as he reached out to put a hand on your shoulder. "I think you'll understand why I won't be letting you use your powers on this mission. But if you're good enough, then in time, I'll let you have access to them again." 

You blinked at The Director, trying to understand what he was talking about. Power? You had a power? What was it? How did you get it? 

"I can see by the lack of understanding in your expression that Caprice did her job a little _too_ well," he mused. "But she can always make you remember again." 

He turned to look at Cha-Cha. "I'm trusting you to keep the asset in line. If she fails to comply with orders or tries to make a run for it, then you have the authorization to use this," he said, reaching to pull a gun from the waistband of his pants. 

"You want me to shoot her?" Cha-Cha asked, sounding skeptical. "Why bother going to all this trouble if you just plan on killing her?" 

"They're filled with tranq darts," The Director explained, an exasperated look on his face. "Each dart is loaded with a serum that we created especially for her. She won't be able to use her power. She won't be going anywhere if you shoot her with one of these. If she starts looking a little too squirrelly, then it’s better to shoot first and ask questions later. Got it?" 

You couldn’t help but think that they were discussing you as if you weren’t standing right there. You were annoyed at the thought for a moment before the feeling passed. 

Cha-Cha reached out to take the tranq gun from The Director, turning it over in her hands as she studied it. 

"Alright," she agreed. "So, what's the mission?" 

In true Temps Commission fashion, the mission involved killing someone to keep the timeline intact. Cha-Cha briefed you over the details as you got settled in your motel room. 

"It shouldn't be a hard job. They're going easy on us to make sure you don't fuck up. Just pull the trigger when I tell you to and we’ll be done." 

You kept your eyes on Cha-Cha, watching her. "I'm not going to fuck up," you promised. "I'm going to follow orders." 

Cha-Cha sighed as she sat down on the edge of her bed. "You know, I really came to respect you after all the shit you went through. You're a hell of a fighter," she said, offering you a considering look. "It's almost sad they've turned you into their little puppet." 

"I'm not sure what you mean," you said. There was something at the back of your mind insisting that you did understand, but it was elusive. It didn’t seem to matter how hard you tried to understand the ambiguous memories and thoughts that taunted you, because they wouldn’t come back to you. You started to think there was no way you would ever quite understand what was going on. 

Cha-Cha huffed out a humorless laugh. "You're like a robot now. I'd almost care if I didn't hate you so much." 

_The feeling's mutual_ , you thought to yourself. You blinked your eyes a few times, thrown off by the thought. Where did it come from? You didn't even know Cha-Cha. How could you already hate her? Why did you suddenly have the urge to kill her? 

You grit your teeth against the feeling, closing your eyes in an effort to center yourself. When you opened your eyes again, Cha-Cha was flipping through the mission folder, reading the information inside. 

By the time you were meant to carry out your mission, you had been warring with yourself for hours. You didn't quite know what you wanted to do. Did you want to carry through with the mission? Did you want to kill Cha-Cha? Did you want to mindlessly comply with orders? Did you want to run away? 

"Okay," Cha-Cha said, nodding towards the target. "You're supposed to take them out. You’re the star of this show. I’m just on curtains." 

You looked down at the gun in your hand, ignoring how your hand was shaking. You had the target in your sights, but when it came time to pull the trigger, you couldn't. Why couldn’t you pull the trigger? What was wrong with you? 

"Come on. Kill him," Cha-Cha insisted. "What are you waiting for?" 

You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for what you were about to do. You turned towards Cha-Cha, the gun raised in her direction. Cha-Cha already had the tranq gun leveled at you, though. Before you could even so much as twitch your finger on the trigger, she fired her shot. 

The last thing you saw before you blacked out was Cha-Cha standing over you, her stupid pink mask considering you from above. 

When you woke again, you were back in the chair. The Director was standing right in front of you. 

"You know, I don't want to say I'm disappointed, but..." he trailed off, leaving you to fill in the rest for yourself. 

You fought against the restraints, baring your teeth at The Director. "I'm going to kill you like I should have fucking killed The Handler," you hissed. "I'm going to tear this place down with my hands if I have to." 

"Oh, you poor, misguided asset," The Director chided, reaching out to ruffle your hair. "I may be one spot higher on the totem pole than The Handler was, but I'm by no means _the boss_. You're going to have to reach a lot higher than me if you want to do any damage." 

You growled at him, feeling like your heart was about to explode in your chest, it was beating so fast. There was a rush of emotions that you couldn’t process. You were so scared that you felt like you could hardly breathe. How were you going to get out of this? Any thought of escape seemed hopeless now. You felt like you were always going to end up in this room, sitting in this chair, with The Director and Caprice standing over you. 

"Caprice," The Director called. "Let's get this show on the road." 

This time, you struggled against Caprice's hands when she reached out for you. You were worried that the last time seemed to hold for longer. What happened if she kept wiping you time and again? What happened when it finally did stick and you were lost forever? 

You went through the same routine again. Once Caprice did her job, The Director asked you to repeat some phrases. He asked you questions about your identity. When you mostly came up blank, everything muted and out of your reach, he seemed momentarily satisfied. 

You were sent on a mission with Cha-Cha. You were given a gun and told to kill someone. The Director made it clear that if you stepped out of line, then Cha-Cha was authorized to stop you. 

You agreed, not knowing why Cha-Cha would need to stop you. You were going to follow orders. You were going to make The Director happy. 

You had a startling sense of déjà vu as you raised the gun in your hand and aimed it at the target Cha-Cha pointed out to you. Your hands were shaking. You didn't want to do this. The gun slipped through your fingers, clattering uselessly to the ground. 

You heard Cha-Cha sigh. "I really thought we had it that time." 

You felt like you were going to be sick as you glanced at her, seeing the tranq gun in her hand. There was a feeling in your gut that urged you to either fight or flee. 

It didn't take you long to decide to turn and make a run for it. You barely made it five steps before you were falling to the ground. 

You weren't proud of it, but you started begging the moment you were awake again. 

"Just let me go. It's not going to work. It's _never_ going to work. You don't have to keep doing this. Just please let me go!" You pleaded as you pulled uselessly on the cuffs keeping you in the chair. You hated everyone in the room with you. You kept trying to access your power, but it felt unattainable. It wasn't there when you needed it most and you felt like crying out of pure frustration. 

"Oh, no," The Director sighed. "We're not letting you go." He offered you a disarming smile. "Don't you get it yet? You're never leaving this place unless it's for a mission. You're never leaving. We’ve got you now." 

You cried out when Caprice reached for you. 

You weren't sure how long you screamed this time, but it didn't seem to take as long as the others before everything faded away. 

By the time Caprice stepped away, you truly felt like an empty shell. You were no longer Y/N. You weren't even Number Eight. You were only an asset. 

This time, when Cha-Cha ordered for you to kill someone, you did it. You barely even had to think about it. You simply pulled the trigger, watched the man fall, and felt like you were fulfilling your purpose to the Temps Commission. That was all that mattered, right? 

When you got back to headquarters, The Director pulled you in for a hug. 

"I am so proud of you," he whispered in your ear. "You're finally realizing your potential." 

He wrapped his fingers around your wrist and pulled you into a room you recognized. The chair in the middle of the room was one you had become well-acquainted with. The walls were still a blinding shade of white that made you want to close your eyes. You noticed that you didn’t feel much at all as you took in the sight before you. 

You shot him a mildly perplexed look, wondering what this was about. You followed orders. You did as you were asked. Why were they going to restrain you again? 

"I hope you understand, dear," The Director said as he tugged you over towards the chair. "It's just, we're finally getting some promising results out of you. I'd hate for all of that progress to be lost if we let up on your sessions with Caprice now." He pulled you to stand in front of the chair, his hands on your shoulders. "Now, are you going to be a good little asset and sit down?" 

You only hesitated for a brief moment before you lowered yourself into the chair, hardly even taking notice when the cuffs came back up to encircle your wrists and ankles, keeping you tethered to the chair. 

You felt nothing as Caprice entered the room and walked over to you. No fear. No anger. No loss. Your mind seemed empty and you didn't even know why it felt wrong. 

After your first successful mission with Cha-Cha, you were given three more. Caprice wiped you after each one, only leaving behind your need to comply with orders. She left you with your training and current knowledge of your partner. She kept the relevant memories of The Director, so you would know who to report to. 

After each wipe, you became less aware that you had a history outside of being a Temps Commission agent. As far as you were concerned, you had always worked for the Temps Commission. 

You were born to be an asset. You liked being an asset. You were only an asset. 

After your fourth successful mission with Cha-Cha, The Director no longer felt the need to keep you strapped down to a chair. 

"I believe your progress is incredibly promising," he told you, offering you a pleased grin. "Now, your next mission is for all the marbles. This new assignment is really going to test your merit and show me if you're cut out for a permanent role as a Temps Commission agent. Hell, if you do well with this, then I'll let you have unlimited access to your powers." A smirk slowly curled the corners of his lips, a glint in his eyes you didn't understand. "You're going to need them, after all." 

"What's my mission?" You asked, your voice frighteningly blank to match how you felt inside. 

"I'm so glad you asked," The Director said, reaching a hand out to take a file from Caprice. 

You were aware of Cha-Cha moving until she was standing just behind you, looking over your shoulder as The Director opened the file and showed you the names and photos on the front page of the dossier. You heard Cha-Cha suck in a startled breath and you almost cared enough to look at her, wondering what was wrong. 

"This group is your next target. Your objective is to knock them out and bring them in for processing. We would prefer for them to be brought in alive, but if they prove to be too much of a problem, then you're permitted to kill them." 

You stared down at the photos in front of you, committing the faces of your next victims to memory. "Who are they?" 

You caught the smug grin that stretched across The Director's face at your question. 

"They're a team of superheroes. They call themselves The Umbrella Academy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, don't hate me. I'm going to hide now. I swear this has a happy/hopeful ending.


	3. we'll celebrate the end of things

The Director took the time to brief you and Cha-Cha on the objectives of your mission after you finished flipping through the dossier. 

"We want this team to be _our_ team," he explained. "Thanks to Caprice, we're now quite capable of housing them at headquarters and keeping them all under our control. You," The Director started, glancing up at you, "proved to be our biggest concern. We thought that if we could make you the perfect agent, then it wouldn’t be so hard to get the others to submit to Caprice's ability. Besides, we needed your ability." 

"My ability?" You asked, a vague impression of what you could do present in your mind. You glanced down to your hands, wondering if your power was active. 

"Yes, my dear," The Director cooed. "From our observations and Cha-Cha's intel, we now know that you can create force fields as well as send people to sleep. You can enter into the dreams of others, manipulate them, plant ideas, and project those dreams and nightmares for others to see. It's really quite an interesting ability. It's going to be incredibly useful for our purposes." 

You thought you remembered using your powers, but you couldn't quite grasp the memory. Every time it seemed as if it was right there in front of you, it still seemed to slip away before you could take a good look at it. 

"Now, we're going to take you back to the morning after we grabbed you. The others will likely be worried about you, so that means they should all be congregated inside that house. You have an in, since they know who you are, but it's also your job to get Cha-Cha into the house undetected. Are you with me so far?" 

Hesitantly, you nodded your head. 

"Yeah, I've got it," Cha-Cha muttered. "What happens once we're inside, though?" 

"We want you to grab all of them, but the biggest priorities are the ones named Diego and Vanya. And of course, you know Number Five. We need him too." 

"What about the others? The big freak with the muscles? The junkie who can conjure the dead?" 

There was something about Cha-Cha's derisive tone about your targets that had you almost wanting to lash out at her. You stared down at the black and white pictures before you. There was something so familiar about them, as if you knew them and just couldn't remember them. You shook your head, trying to get yourself to focus. If you didn't listen to the mission directive, then your chances of success lowered. You couldn't afford to piss off The Director. You had to make him happy. 

"Luther, or as you so affectionally called him, 'the freak with the muscles,' is a priority, but not as important as the others. Thanks to our intel, we also know that the junkie should pose no problem. The other one, Allison, has lost her power due to an accident with Vanya. She shouldn't be a threat." 

Cha-Cha scoffed. "Maybe not with her power, but she's skilled in combat." 

"She's injured," The Director insisted. "Just knock her out and get her out of the way. We want the full set. Bring them to us, but make them suffer if you can. They've all been more than complicit in making our lives difficult here at the company." He glanced to you, as if noticing you were still there. "You bring them here, and we can give them the same special treatment as our darling asset here." He offered you an insincere smile as he reached out to put his hand on your shoulder, squeezing painfully for a moment. 

"I can't wait to meet your little friends," Caprice mused, shooting you a smirk. 

"Friends?" You wondered, confused by Caprice's amusement. You weren’t aware of any connection you might have shared with the targets. This was just another assignment, right? A higher risk, sure, but you were sure there wouldn't be a problem. 

"Forget that," The Director dismissed, shooting Caprice a scowl. "You, our perfect little asset, are going to be our Trojan horse. You're going to distract them, separate them, and with Cha-Cha's help, you'll detain them. Remember, the junkie and the injured one should be easily detainable. You're going to want to watch out for the others, though. Especially Vanya and Diego. Their powers are inherently lethal. And Five, well, he was one of us. He's had the training. He's ruthless. I suggest you go after him first if you can." 

"Got it," Cha-Cha said. "Is that all? Can we go now?" 

"So eager," The Director exclaimed on a delighted laugh. 

"That family fucked up my perfect record," Cha-Cha snapped. "I want my shot at them." 

"You'll get it," The Director assured. "But first," he started, nodding to the tranq gun resting on the seat of the chair you were so used to occupying. "Take that and use it if you have to. If the asset starts to remember, then get her the hell out of there and bring her back here. We can't afford to lose her now. We can’t afford to start over." 

Cha-Cha nodded her head, reaching out to grab the gun. "What if the others stop me?" 

The Director fixed Cha-Cha with an unimpressed glare. "I trust that all of the training you've had with the company will prove to be useful to you. Don't mess this up, Cha-Cha. We're counting on you." 

She took a deep breath before nodding her head again. "I've got this." 

"Good," The Director said. He glanced to you. "You can leave as soon as the asset has regained the use of her powers. It shouldn't take long." 

He offered you one final look before he turned to leave the room, beckoning for Caprice to follow after him. 

Cha-Cha sighed, turning to consider you. "Do you feel superpowered yet?" 

You shook your head, studying your hands again as if they would offer any answers. "I don't think so. How will I know?" 

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Come on," she told you, nodding towards the door. "Let's go find some hapless rookie to test it out on." 

You followed her out of the room, unsure about trying to use your powers, but trusting Cha-Cha's idea. 

Once you could successfully send one of the company interns to sleep and access their dreams, Cha-Cha deemed you ready for the mission. 

"Don't forget that I have this," she told you, holding up the tranq gun for you to see. "I won't hesitate to knock you out and drag you back here for Caprice to use her mojo on you. And who knows? Maybe I'll get so pissed off that I'll use the real one on you," she said, a smirk on her face. "Wouldn't be the first time," she muttered. 

You frowned at her, confused by her words. You felt like there was a lot of history you were missing and you couldn't help but wonder if you knew Cha-Cha before she was your partner. Why did she seem to hate you? Why was she threatening to shoot you? You didn't understand any of it and you were growing frustrated with each memory that failed to surface. 

You let Cha-Cha take the lead as she grabbed the briefcase you were given. You were told by the clerk manning the cache of briefcases that it was one of the last ones, so you were supposed to handle it with care. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Cha-Cha dismissed. “I’ve heard it all before,” she sighed, waving off the clerk. 

You waited for Cha-Cha to finish inspecting the briefcase, ready for her cue that signaled everything checked out. You were sure she had a better idea of where you were supposed to go and when, so you patiently watched as she messed with the dials. She glanced up at you once she was done, quirking an eyebrow. 

"Well? You ready?" 

You nodded your head and reached out to grab her arm as she opened the briefcase, taking you to your destination. 

By the time you were standing on a busy city sidewalk outside of a mansion, you were starting to feel doubtful of the plan. If you didn't know the targets, then why would they trust you? How were you just supposed to waltz inside a house full of superheroes and expect that you could make it out unharmed and alive? 

"Remember the plan," Cha-Cha reminded you, breaking you out of your thoughts. "Get me inside. Isolate each member and knock them out. And then we'll work on detaining them all to get them shipped off to the company." 

"Right," you agreed. "Okay," you said, taking a deep breath. You took solace in the gun you felt hidden in the waistband of your pants. If you felt like you needed to shoot your way out of the situation, then you would. If anything got fucked up, then you could always use your power. It still felt strange and foreign to you, but you were sure you would be able to use it if needed. 

You walked through the front gates and up to the front door. You were sure it would be locked and you would be forced to break in, but to your surprise, the door opened for you. You shot a brief look back to Cha-Cha. She urged you forward, waving you on. 

You took a few cautious steps into the foyer, listening to voices coming from the room to your right. You were careful to keep quiet, not wanting to alert anyone to your presence. You managed a quick glance into the room, noting that all of your targets appeared to be inside the room. 

They seemed to be having a heated discussion. You could hear raised voices and someone's name being brought up over and over again, but you didn't recognize it. 

You looked over your shoulder to see Cha-Cha waiting for your signal. You waved her forward, letting her know it was safe to proceed. 

When Cha-Cha reached your side, she leaned close to whisper in your ear. "Get Five down to the basement level. I'll be waiting there. We'll pick them off one by one after we take him out." 

You nodded your head to show that you understood before you watched her sneak away. You weren't sure how to get to the basement, but you couldn't help but notice that Cha-Cha seemed to know. Did she know these people? Had she been here before? It was more elusive history you wished you knew, because you felt like you were deliberately being left in the dark. 

Once you were sure Cha-Cha wouldn't be detected, you took a step into the room where the team meeting seemed to be taking place. 

You were stunned by the silence that greeted you, everyone in the room turning to look at you in shock and awe. 

"Oh, thank God," one of the guys breathed, putting a hand to his chest. "Where the hell have you been?" 

You tried to keep any obvious confusion off your face, but it was hard to know if you were successful when you weren't quite sure what was going on. The guy who spoke up, the one Cha-Cha referred to as the junkie, moved towards you, but you held up a hand to stall him. 

He stopped just a few feet away from you, a crestfallen expression flashing across his face. "Uh, are you okay? You've had us all scared to death." 

"I need to talk to Five," you said, glancing to the boy sitting at the bar. 

Five furrowed his brows before he hopped off the bar stool. "What's this about?" 

"I need to talk to you _alone_ ," you insisted, not bothering to look at anyone else. You were keeping track of their movements, though. If they seemed like they were going to come for you, then you would have to take them out. You didn't want to fight a room full of superheroes, though. It was much easier to divide and conquer. 

"Whoa, hold on a minute," the one called Diego interrupted. "You've been missing since last night. Klaus here called us all here to look for you. And you just walk on in and demand to talk to Five? What the hell is going on?" 

Five held a hand up, watching you closely. "Let me hear what she has to say, Diego. We'll be right back." He gestured for you to lead the way and you nodded, moving to leave the room. 

You could hear the others having a hushed argument behind you, but as you walked farther away from the room, you allowed yourself a deep breath. Everything seemed to be going to plan. You just had to get Five downstairs so you and Cha-Cha could take care of him. You could do this, you insisted to yourself. Everything would be fine. 

"Where are we going?" Five asked, moving to walk at your side. 

"Basement level," you answered, shooting him a quick glance. His brows were still furrowed and he was watching you as if he was trying to figure something out, but he didn’t bother raising any concerns he might have had. 

"Alright," he conceded after a moment. “Let’s go.” 

You managed to fall just a step behind Five, letting him lead you. 

When you got down to the basement level, Cha-Cha was sitting at the table, her feet propped up on the surface. 

"Temps Commission agents are supposed to be more subtle than this," Five said, seemingly unsurprised to see Cha-Cha. He held up a gun, aiming it at Cha-Cha. It took you a moment to realize it was _your_ gun and you wondered when Five had the opportunity to take it from you. You hadn’t even realized that it was gone. 

Five pulled the trigger, able to get off one shot at Cha-Cha, the gunshot ringing loud and echoing in the room. Cha-Cha had already ducked beneath the table, unharmed by Five’s attempt on her life. You were quick to reach out with your power, hastily putting Five to sleep. 

"You couldn't have done that before he tried to kill me?" Cha-Cha grumbled as she pulled herself out from beneath the table. "You didn't feel him take your gun?" There was suspicion in her tone, as if she suspected you were working against her after all. 

You shook your head, frowning down at the unconscious form of Five at your feet. “I was just as surprised as you were.” 

“Yeah, well, don’t let it happen again. I’m not getting demoted because you can’t do your damn job.” 

You glared at her, trying to ignore the sting of her words. "The others probably heard the gunshot. They'll want to investigate," you pointed out. 

"Then let's be ready for them," Cha-Cha said. "And watch out for the one with the knives." 

You nodded in understanding, leaning down to grab your gun from Five's slack grip. You tucked the weapon back into your waistband, trusting that you wouldn't lose it again. They did say Five had once been a Temps Commission agent. You should have been more wary around him. With him out of the way, though, you hoped that the others would all be a lot easier to take out. 

"Five? What the hell was that?" 

The one with the muscles turned the corner first. You were quick to reach out with your power and put him to sleep, wincing when he hit the floor with a dull thud. 

You wondered for a moment if anyone had followed him when a knife came sailing around the corner. You watched it fly right at Cha-Cha, embedding itself in her shoulder. 

"I told you to watch out for him," she grunted, pulling the knife from her shoulder. 

You only had a split second to notice someone else was in the room before you were being tackled to the floor. You realized it was Diego a moment before he brought another knife up and lobbed it at Cha-Cha. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Diego hissed down at you. "What did they do to you?" 

You moved to buck Diego off you, but he pressed down, slamming you back into the floor. 

"Don't make me hurt you," he pleaded. "Just stay down. Let me take care of her and then we'll figure out what's wrong with you. We’ll fix whatever this is," he insisted. 

You could hear Cha-Cha yelling something, but all you could focus on was Diego. Why was he so familiar to you? Why didn't he want to hurt you? You hesitated for a moment, but all you had to think of was The Director's disappointed face if you failed this mission before your resolve strengthened. You smirked up at Diego before you tapped a finger to his forehead, catching the flash of betrayal that crossed his face, before his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped over onto you. 

"Good work," you heard Cha-Cha say. She appeared over Diego's shoulder, leaning down with a grunt to help you push him off you. She was bleeding from a wound in her shoulder and another in her thigh. “It’s about time you did something right.” 

"Thanks," you muttered, feeling more conflicted by the moment. There was something wrong with this whole picture. Diego wanted to help you. Five didn't even seem like he was going to turn your gun on you earlier. The others had all been planning on searching for you before you turned up. Did you know them? Were they as important to you as you seemed to be to them? 

You heard someone gasp from the entryway of the room and you glanced over to see the remaining three members of the team staring at you and Cha-Cha in shock. 

You saw a grim, determined look come over Vanya's face before she closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were white and glowing. She flung out an arm, sending you and Cha-Cha flying back. 

You slammed into the floor, the breath knocked out of you for a moment. You heard Vanya telling the others to run, but you couldn't manage to get yourself to stand up yet. There was a disorienting ringing in your ears that had you struggling to focus as you forced yourself to sit up. 

You noticed Cha-Cha getting to her feet on the other side of the room. She patted herself down, glancing around for her weapon, but didn't seem to find it. As you were managing to get to your feet, you saw Cha-Cha charge at Vanya, obviously planning on engaging her in hand to hand combat. 

When you felt like you could breathe again and the room wasn't spinning, you moved to join the fight. Before you could even get a step closer to the pair, you were being tackled back to the floor. For one fleeting moment, you thought Vanya had used her power on you. But when you realized you felt hands on your shoulders, you glanced up to see someone you didn't recognize. 

They weren't in the dossier. They weren't supposed to be here. Who the hell was this? 

"You don't want to do this. This isn't you," the guy said, digging his hands into your shoulders when you tried to push him away. 

There was a blue glow around him, as if he was somehow a dream or a figment of your imagination. As if he wasn’t really there. You would have recognized him if that were the case, though. You were sure you didn’t know this guy at all, so why was there a whisper at the back of your mind that suggested you did? 

You tried to use your power on him, but when nothing happened, you went back to trying to force him off you. 

"You can't use your power on me," he pointed out, his form starting to dissipate. You felt your eyes widen in surprise when your hands went right through him. "Because I'm dead," he said before he completely disappeared, leaving you free to get up again. 

By the time you were standing, you realized the fight between Cha-Cha and Vanya was over. Cha-Cha was silent and still on the floor, a pool of blood starting to form beneath her. Her eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling and when you realized she wasn't breathing, you knew she was dead. 

"I had to," Vanya was saying, a tremble in her voice. "She was going to kill me. She was going to kill all of us. I had to," she insisted, glancing up to you with wide eyes, as if imploring you to agree with her. 

You blinked down at Cha-Cha's body before finally looking at Vanya. You barely had to think about it before you sent Vanya to sleep. She fell to the floor, her legs bowing beneath her until she was sprawled out on the floor. 

You knew that the mission would be deemed a failure if you didn't get the other two. You reached into the waistband of your pants, wrapping your fingers around the gun still tucked there. If they weren't the ones the Temps Commission was truly after and proved to be a threat, then you were just going to have to take them out. Your partner was dead and you knew that when you returned to the company without her, then it would only reflect poorly on you. 

The Director would be sure to take out his frustration on you. You shivered at the thought of Caprice and her hands on you, wiping your mind yet again. You didn’t want to submit yourself to their torture again, but you felt like there was nothing else you could do. You would have to carry out the rest of the mission by yourself and hope for the best. 

You stepped over Vanya's unconscious body and moved towards the stairs. You figured the others must have hidden somewhere else in the Academy, so you were going to have to track them down. 

However, to your surprise you found Allison in the foyer, a determined look on her face as she watched you. 

She opened her mouth, a whisper of sound coming out. She shook her head, closing her mouth, before she tried to speak again. "I heard," came out on a raspy breath before her voice cut out. 

You had been briefed on her powers. You knew what she was trying to do to you. You raised your gun and aimed it her, your finger caressing the trigger. 

"Hey, hey, hey," someone cut in, rushing forward and stepping between you and Allison. 

It was the junkie Cha-Cha had been so dismissive of earlier. He had his hands up, his palms facing towards you. Your attention caught on the words tattooed on his hands, the 'hello' and 'goodbye' looking hauntingly familiar to you. You felt your grip falter on the gun and you weren't sure why you suddenly had the urge to drop your arm. 

"I know this isn't you," he said, taking a slow, sure step in your direction. 

Allison made a noise of outrage behind him, reaching out to try to grab his shirt, but he was quick to step out of her reach. 

His hands were still up, an attempt to show that he wasn't about to harm you. You felt like your breath was stuck in your throat as you watched him slowly approach you. Your grip on the gun was wavering, even though you knew this could very well be a mistake. You didn't want to hurt him, though. There was something about the foolishly earnest expression on his face as he took each step closer to you, as if he knew somehow that you weren't going to kill him. As if you didn't have a weapon trained on him the whole time. 

You knew him, you realized suddenly. You had to know him, but how? You didn't understand. Why couldn't you remember him? 

"Y/N," he softly pleaded. "You're still in there. I can see it. I can see _you_." 

You shook your head, your grip on the gun tightening for a moment. "Who the hell is Y/N?" 

"I'll tell you," he promised. You realized there were tears in his eyes as he cautiously reached out to wrap his fingers around the muzzle of the gun. When you didn't protest or try to shoot him, he pulled it from your grasp. He held it out behind him, not once taking his eyes off you, as he waited for Allison to grab the weapon. 

Once she took hold of the gun, he reached out to cup your face in his hands. 

"You're Y/N," he said, keeping his gaze steady on yours. "You're a member of this team. You're one of us. You're the best damn thing to ever happen to me." You noticed a tear slip down his cheek as he let out a helpless laugh. "You're the love of my life," he whispered before he leaned forward and kissed you. 

A thousand emotions warred within you with his lips pressed to yours. There was a voice right at the back of your mind that insisted you knew this feeling. You knew this man. You knew Klaus. 

As you submitted to the kiss, starting to return it, you realized something else that came back to you with startling clarity. 

You _loved_ Klaus. 

You gasped and tore yourself away from him. 

"Klaus," you blurted, feeling your hands shaking as you reached out to grasp the front of his shirt. "Klaus," you breathed, feeling a trembling breath escape you at the look of wonder on his face. "They got me," you told him, not even sure for a moment why you were saying the words or what they really meant, but knowing they were true. 

"I know," he said, his hands still framing your face as he considered you. "It's going to be okay. We can fix this." You saw him glance at something just over your shoulder. His eyes went wide before he shook his head. "Just wait, Five!" 

You turned your head to see if Five was really there and free from the influence of your power, but before you could even get a glimpse of him, everything went dark. 

When you managed to make yourself open your eyes again, you found that your wrists were strapped to the arms of the chair you were sitting in. You panicked for a moment, thoughts of Caprice and the torture you were no doubt about to face causing your breath to hitch in terror, before you realized you weren't at Temps Commission headquarters. You weren't being confronted with that blindingly white room or The Director's smug, wicked grin. You were in a room you vaguely recognized as the Academy's living room surrounded by people you barely remembered. 

Your eyes sought out Klaus, your only true anchor in this bewilderingly strange moment before Five stepped forward, blocking your view of Klaus and everyone else. 

"How did you know?" You managed to ask, your voice coming out as a croak. “How did you know it was a trap?” 

Five sighed, glancing away from you for a moment, as if still bothered by your perceived betrayal. When he looked back to you, there was a look in his eyes you didn't quite recognize. 

"I assumed there was something wrong when you disappeared from the Academy without a trace. I knew there was something wrong when you stepped into this room and didn't immediately seek out Klaus. You two are regularly attached at the hip and yet you asked to talk to me first. You barely even considered Klaus, because your focus was on me." He frowned at you, taking a step closer with a careful look on his face. 

You managed to catch a glimpse of the others. They were all watching you and Five with rapt fascination, as if this was some kind of entertainment for them. But when you took a closer look, you realized that there were distinctions in their expressions. Luther looked worried while Diego looked pained, as if he couldn't believe what was going on. Allison's eyes were wide with concern and Vanya was watching you carefully, as if worried you would try to form some kind of attack again. Klaus, though, he just looked broken, and you hated knowing that you were responsible for putting that expression on his face. 

"What else?" You couldn't help but wonder, knowing that there must have been more for Five to deduce to know that there was something wrong with you. 

"Well, you didn't know how to get to the basement level. Not to mention, you referred to it as the 'basement level.' It hasn't been that since it was converted into a space for all of us when we were kids. You also had me lead you there, which meant that you didn't remember how to get there. I noticed the outline of the gun tucked into your waistband when you had your back to me. I knew you wanted to get me alone, so I guessed that the Temps Commission must have been the ones to nab you, since they likely told you to take me out first. Disregarding all that, you were my partner, Y/N. You still are. We spent over forty years together. I took one look at you and knew it wasn't you." 

You shook your head, reeling at his words as memories began to resurface. The apocalypse and daring Five to eat a bad Twinkie and listening to him tirelessly mutter equations to himself in an endless number of motel rooms. 

You realized you really knew Five. You had known Five your whole life. How could you ever forget him or Klaus or any of the others? 

"If you knew all of that, then why did you let me separate you from the others? Why not sound the alarm?" 

Five offered you a helpless grin as he shrugged his shoulders again. "Because I hoped I was wrong." He let the words sink in before he moved to stand closer to you. "Now," he said, fixing you with a serious expression. "Tell us what happened." 

"Come on, Five," Klaus cut in. There was a desperate undercurrent to his tone, worry and concern bleeding into his words. You realized that Klaus wasn't just scared, he was scared _for you_. "Hasn't she been through enough already without an interrogation? At least let me untie her." 

Five shook his head, glancing over his shoulder at Klaus. "Not until I'm sure she won't try to attack us again. I used the tranq gun I found on Cha-Cha, which I'm sure subdues her abilities, but she can still take someone out all by herself. She's had the training." 

Klaus made a frustrated noise, but didn't bother to say anything else. 

You shook your head, your gaze traveling from Klaus back to Five. "I want to talk," you told him. "I'll tell you anything I know. Anything I can remember," you amended. 

"Why did they take you?" Diego asked, leaning forward as he spoke to you. "What do they want?" 

There was a spike of pain in your head as you tried to remember. Now that you had started to recall certain memories, others were starting to trickle back in. "I think I was here," you said, everything hazy and distant. You tried to force the memories to come to you, but that only caused you more pain. "I remember waking up at headquarters. They had me tied to a chair. Like this," you explained, nodding down at the blue rope keeping your wrists secured to the chair. 

Klaus made a distressed noise at that. "Let her go, Five. How can this possibly help her?" 

"It's okay," you assured him, doing your best to send him a sincere smile. "It's not helping me, but it's helping you. All of you," you added, glancing around at the others. 

Vanya looked unsure. "Maybe Klaus is right," she said. "If she snaps, then she can't send us all to sleep. If she goes after one of us, then there's five more of us to stop her." 

"Six," you corrected automatically, frowning at the memory of getting knocked back down in the kitchen by someone you didn't recognize. But you realized with a start that you _did_ remember him. "Ben," you breathed. "Ben stopped me from attacking Vanya. How?" You glanced to Klaus, knowing that he would likely have the answer. 

"We've been working on a few things," Klaus dismissed with a wave of his hand. "But see? She remembers Ben! She's starting to remember. She's not a danger to us, Five." 

"They're right," Luther spoke up. "It's not right to do this to her. Not after what she’s already been through with the Temps Commission. Aren’t we supposed to be better than them?" 

Klaus marched over towards Diego and held a hand out to him, patiently waiting for him to understand what he wanted. Diego rolled his eyes before pulling one of his knives from a holster, handing it over to Klaus with a scowl on his face. 

"Don't make me regret giving you that. I remember what happened the last time you took one of my knives off me." 

"What happened?" You couldn't help but ask, keeping an eye on Klaus as he moved over to you. He crouched down in front of you, making quick work of cutting through the ropes keeping you tied down to the chair. 

"You don't want to know," Diego grumbled. 

You couldn't help but smile, a ghost of memory coming to you in that moment. You were sure you had this conversation before, but you couldn't recall when. 

Once you were free from the chair, Klaus tugged on your arms, pulling you up to stand. He wrapped his arms around you, yanking you into his tight embrace. You brought your arms up, hesitantly returning his affection. You felt him sag against you for a brief moment, as if in relief, before he pushed away from you. 

He brought a hand up, tipping your chin up until you met his eyes. 

"I'm sorry," he said. "If I was with you last night, then I could have stopped them." 

You shook your head, offering him a sad smile. "They would have taken you too. Or killed you. I would never want to risk that." Even if you couldn't quite remember everything, you at least knew that. 

"Doesn't matter," Klaus insisted, his eyes wide with sincerity. "I'm never leaving you alone again. Good luck trying to escape me now." 

You couldn't help but shake your head, a rueful grin on your face. "Like I would ever want to." 

Klaus let out a helpless little laugh before pulling you into a kiss. 

When the both of you lingered, not wanting to pull away, Five pointedly cleared his throat. 

"As touching as this is, we still have some things to figure out. Can you keep your hands off each other long enough for Y/N to give us the full story?" 

"Not likely," Klaus said, winking at you. 

You laughed, startled by the overwhelming sense of warmth and fondness you felt for him. Klaus' face lit up at the sound, seemingly lighter than just a few moments before when he had looked so downtrodden at the sight of you restrained to the chair. 

He tugged you over towards one of the couches, urging you to sit down. He sat beside you, quick to wrap an arm around your waist and pulling you in closer to his side, as if he really couldn't stand the idea of you being out of his reach again. 

Five moved to sit on the opposite couch, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward to consider you closely. 

"Now, tell us what you remember." 

You shot a quick look over at Klaus, waiting for his nod of encouragement, before you started relaying everything you could remember. You told them about the chair and how the Temps Commission had been watching you. You mentioned meeting The Director and Caprice. You detailed how her ability worked and how they wiped your mind several times in an effort to get you under their thumb. 

Klaus' grip on you tightened as you spoke about the torture you received at the hands of The Director and Caprice. You realized when you looked at him that his jaw was clenched in anger, seemingly upset by your words. You wanted to stop, but you promised to tell them everything you remembered. It wasn’t your fault that you had nothing but tragedy to discuss. 

You told them about Cha-Cha becoming your partner and being forced to comply with orders. You told them about the missions you were sent on as a test. You told them everything as it seemed to unfold in your mind, memories seeming to hit you with each word you said. 

By the time you were done talking, you were shaking in Klaus' arms, tears streaming down your face. 

"Hey, it's okay," Klaus soothed, reaching out to wipe away your tears. He glanced to the others. "Will you give us a moment alone?" 

You saw Five make a face, as if he didn't want to leave you, but Vanya reached forward and nudged him. "That sounds like a good idea," she said, nodding at Klaus. "We'll all be right outside if you need us." 

You watched as Vanya started herding the others out of the room. Allison reached forward to squeeze your shoulder, offering you a reassuring smile, before she left the room. You noticed Vanya slide the doors shut, allowing you and Klaus a modicum of privacy. 

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked, his tone sincere and distressed, as if wary about the answer. He was staring at you as if he would do anything for you. As if you were his whole world and he was scared of watching it burn up right in front of him. 

You weren't sure if it was because you were finally alone with Klaus or starting to realize that you were supposedly safe after so long stuck in the clutches of the Temps Commission, but a part of you broke in that moment. You could feel the tears coming faster, a sob breaking free as you pressed yourself to Klaus' side, wordlessly seeking comfort. 

"Shit," Klaus hissed, his arms tightening around you. "What can I do? What do you need?" He sounded almost panicked as he managed to pull you impossibly closer. 

You shook your head, closing your eyes as tears continued to stream down your face. "Just hold me," you breathed into his shoulder. 

"I can do that," he said, turning his head to press a kiss to your temple. "I'm never leaving you alone again, you know that?" 

You snorted, already beginning to feel a bit better in Klaus' presence. "Even when I have to go to the bathroom?" 

"Especially then," he said, his breath ruffling your hair as he spoke. "And when we get the chance, we're going to burn that place down to the ground." 

"I agree," Five said from the doorway. 

"Christ, Five!" Klaus exclaimed, shooting him a glare. "You couldn't give us just a few moments to ourselves?" 

Five shrugged his shoulders, slipping into the room. "You're not the only one worried about her, Klaus. She's my partner. I was supposed to have her back and I let her down." 

"Partner," Klaus mocked, making a face at Five. 

You saw Luther poke his head around the door, seeming to deem it safe to rejoin you and Klaus as he stepped into the room. As the others started to file back into the living room, you looked back to Five. 

"The Director said he's not even the boss. There's so much about them that we don't understand. It would be impossible to even begin to figure out where to start in order to take them down once and for all." 

"The Director," Five scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"Do you know him?" Admittedly, you didn't remember everything yet, but memories were coming back in bits and pieces. You didn't think you had any interaction with the man before you were kidnapped. 

"We didn't deal with him while we were working for the company," Five assured you. "I've been conducting some research of my own about the Temps Commission." 

"Five," Vanya interrupted. "Tell her," she suggested. 

"Right," Five agreed. "I should have included you from the beginning," Five said, looking to you. "It was remiss of me to not include my _partner_ ," he stressed, quirking an eyebrow at Klaus, as if daring him to argue. He chanced a glance at Vanya, waiting for her nod, before he turned back to you. "I haven't been working on a novel. I've been working on a plan to take down the Temps Commission." 

"Oh, thank God," you heard Diego breathe. 

When you all turned to look at him, he shrugged his shoulders. 

"What? I thought he was up in his room writing thinly veiled romance novels about him and Delores." He glanced around the group, his brows furrowed. "You can't tell me you weren’t also a little concerned about all the hours he’s spent locked away with her upstairs." 

"No," Luther said, shooting Diego a disbelieving look. "That never crossed my mind. I think you're the only one who could possibly come up with something like that and believe it." 

"Anyways," Five started, shaking his head. "I've been running the probabilities and looking into them as much as I could without getting on their radar. I knew they were coming after us, but I wanted to strike first. I wanted to keep you out of it, because I believed that you deserved a shot at a normal life after everything you've been through." He glanced to Klaus, his eyes narrowing as he considered him. "Well, as normal as you could get." 

"Ouch," Klaus hissed, putting a hand to his chest in mock-offense. 

"But after everything they've done to you," Five continued, seemingly ignoring Klaus, "I imagine you'll want your chance at revenge." 

"Once I have my power back under control," you said, nodding your head slowly in agreement. "Caprice kept tearing away at my memories. I couldn't even remember I had a power by the time they sent me after you all. But, Five? What would the world be without the Temps Commission? What would happen?" 

"I don't care anymore," he dismissed. "I'm willing to find out if you are." 

You took a moment to think about it, remembering as much as you could about everything the company had put you and Five through. You remembered them sending Hazel and Cha-Cha after you and the others. You remembered them trying to goad Vanya into ending the world. You remembered The Handler and the control she seemed to love holding over you. You couldn't remember one single positive experience working for the Temps Commission. The only thing that got you through was Five. The only thing that would save you now after their weeks of incessant torture were the people surrounding you now. You shared a quick look with Klaus, reading the resolve in his expression, before you nodded at Five. 

"I'm in," you decided. 

"Great," Five said, flashing you a quick, wide grin. "So, partners?" He asked, holding his hand out for you to shake. 

You reached out to take his hand, ignoring Klaus grumbling beside you. 

"Partners," you agreed. 

A couple of weeks sluggishly passed without incident from the Temps Commission. 

Everyone at the Academy was on high alert, expecting another attack at any moment. Diego ended up moving back into the mansion, saying that next time they came calling, he wanted to be there. Allison ended up extending her trip, focusing on getting her voice back so she would be able to finally use her ability again. 

You took to training with Vanya again, except now you were both working on your powers. Klaus ended up joining your sessions, claiming that he might as well learn how to manifest Ben more often. 

He confided in you that he was working with Ben on being able to put more distance between them, so if it came down to it, then Ben wouldn't need to be close in order to stick around. Ben had enjoyed feeling useful again after he managed to take you down and he wanted to be able to help more in the weeks to come. He didn’t want to feel like he was going to be left out of the future takedown of the Temps Commission. He wanted to feel like he was a part of the team again, but he couldn’t manage that without Klaus’ help. 

Klaus also told you that when he finally managed to conjure Reginald that first time, the old man had mentioned Klaus wasting his potential. Klaus wanted to find out if he had more powers than talking to the dead and manifesting them. He wanted to unlock as much as he could before taking on the Temps Commission. 

You knew what Klaus wasn’t really saying. You knew that he just wanted to feel useful since he partly blamed himself for your kidnapping. No matter how many times you tried to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, he didn't seem to want to hear it. 

With the team all back under the same roof again, family meetings and dinners became an almost nightly occurrence. Grace usually went above and beyond with the menu, stating that she only wanted the best for you and the others. 

You found out that when the others suspected something was wrong upon your return to the Academy, Diego had urged Grace to go for a stroll in the park. He told you he wanted her out of the way in order to keep her safe. 

Once she learned about what happened and realized you were back safe and sound, she pulled you into a hug. “My dear, sweet Y/N. Oh, I’m so glad you’re back with us.” 

“Thanks, Grace,” you told her, managing a mostly sincere smile for her. 

For the next week, she made sure to cook nothing but your favorite foods for every dinner, as if plying you with food was the best way for her to comfort you. 

You made sure to thank her for every meal, feeling grateful for the genuine care she displayed for you. 

On the day of your return, after the others seemed to realize you weren't going to snap and try to kill them all, Diego and Luther opted to take care of Cha-Cha's body. Five took the briefcase and promised he was going to store it in a safe place. 

Klaus had ushered you to his bedroom, telling you that you needed to rest. Once he had you back in his bed, comically taking the time to tuck you in, he sat down on the edge of his bed. 

"Don't worry," he had assured you. "I'm going to be right here. I'll keep you safe." He glanced over his shoulder, hissing something under his breath, before he looked back to you. "Ben will help keep watch too." 

"Thanks," you whispered, your mind failing to process everything that happened. You hadn't even been sure if you would be able to drift off, but it seemed like one moment you were looking up at Klaus and the next you were waking up several hours later, Klaus' arm around your waist as he slept next to you. 

The first few days were an adjustment. To the others, you had only been gone for one night. From your perspective, you had been away for a few weeks, suffering through the Temps Commissions conditioning and going on missions with Cha-Cha. 

It took you a while to realize that you were safe. You spent many nights curled up close to Klaus, clutching the front of his shirt and refusing to let go. He spent those moments doing his best to sooth you, assuring you that the Temps Commission would never get their hands on you again. 

You wanted to believe his words more than anything, but each night brought endless nightmares of The Director and Caprice. You woke up most nights crying, struggling out of bed when it felt like Klaus' arm around you and the covers wrapped around your legs were keeping you restrained. Sometimes, you ended up screaming yourself out of the nightmare, startling not only Klaus, but causing the others to come running to check on you, sure that you were all being attacked by the Temps Commission. 

You warred between guilt and embarrassment the first time you were curled up on the floor, a force field surrounding you, with Klaus sitting just on the other side of it. Diego had been the first to reach his room, storming into the room with his knives in hand, ready to face an attacker that was only present in your nightmares. 

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay," Klaus was chanting, barely sparing a glance for Diego. 

It wasn't long before Diego was sitting in the chair at the foot of Klaus' bed while Allison sat beside Klaus, watching you carefully. Luther and Five had gone to the kitchen, rousing Grace to start making an early breakfast, while Vanya played you some of your favorite songs on her violin, being careful not to get carried away with her power. The sound soothed you to the point you finally allowed yourself to drop your force field. 

"I'm sorry," you whispered once it was finally down. "I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just can't get them out of my head." 

"Don't apologize," Vanya told you. "You've been through something none of us can really understand. But we're here for you," she assured you. 

"We've got your back," Diego added. "If they so much as think about coming for you again, then we'll be ready this time. They're not going to lay a hand on you if any of us have anything to say about it." 

You felt tears well in your eyes, overwhelmed by their support. Allison reached out to put a hand on your forearm, offering you a kind smile when you glanced up to her. 

"It's going to be okay," she whispered, her voice strained. 

Klaus reached out to tentatively wrap his arms around your waist, watching you carefully to make sure it was okay. 

"We're not going to let anything bad happen to you," he promised. "We love you. _I_ love you." 

You couldn't quite manage to stop yourself from crying after that. 

You spent the rest of that early morning in the presence of the others. Once the food was ready, Five and Luther came to get you. Five made sure to hold you back from the group for a moment, catching your wrist in his grip to get you to turn towards him while he ignored Klaus' glare. 

"You okay?" You could read the concern in his expression and felt guilty all over again for putting it there. 

"I'm okay," you affirmed with a nod of your head. "I will be, at any rate." 

"I'm glad," Five said, squeezing your wrist in reassurance. 

"Come on, Y/N," Klaus cut in, tugging you away from Five. "Let's go see what Grace made for us." 

After that night, it wasn't unusual for one or more of the others to end up in Klaus' room. You felt ashamed about causing such chaos in the house, but everyone was always quick to reassure you that it wasn't your fault. If anything, it only seemed to strengthen everyone's resolve to take down the Temps Commission. 

On the night that marked two weeks since your arrival, Five announced at the family dinner that he was finalizing his plans for taking down the company. 

"It’s going to be difficult, but not impossible. We're going to have to all work together if we want to infiltrate headquarters." 

"As long as I get to go after that Caprice bitch," Diego said, stabbing one of his knives into the surface of the table. 

"We can't forget The Director," Vanya pointed out. "He's just as much to blame as her." 

"Let’s just make sure we don't lose sight of what's important," Five interjected. He looked over, meeting your eyes. "We're going to rip that company down to the ground and take out as many agents as we can in the process." 

You nodded your head. "We'll need some help. We're a good team, but we'll need an army." 

"Already ahead of you," Five confirmed. “I just have a few more things to figure out.” 

You spent the rest of the family dinner listening to the others talk, an anxiety building at the thought of going after the Temps Commission. There were so many unknowns and you worried that one of you or all of you would be killed in the attempt. 

You helped Luther and Diego clear the table, listening to Klaus talking softly to Ben in the corner. You weren’t sure what Klaus was telling Ben, but from the look on his face, you assumed it was important. 

When Diego and Luther left and it was just you and Klaus in the kitchen, you turned to him, wondering why he looked so nervous. 

"What's going on?" 

He was shifting on his feet, looking almost anxious as he regarded you. 

"There's someone I want you to meet," Klaus told you as he held out his hand for you to take. "Are you up for it?" 

You nodded your head, sending him a reassuring smile. You had come a long way in the past couple of weeks. You had started to allow yourself to rely on the security of the Academy. You knew that you had your team, your _family_ , at your back should you need them. 

Most important of all, you had Klaus. You trusted Klaus. You knew he wouldn’t ask something of you if he thought you couldn’t handle it. 

You reached out to grab his hand, allowing him to lead you towards his bedroom. There was a nervous grin on his face as he opened the door before he ushered you inside. 

When you walked into his room, it was to see a man standing there in a uniform. He was a ghostly, spectral blue before colors started leaching into his features, giving you a better view of the man you had only seen in the photograph Klaus had once shown you. 

"Y/N," Klaus started as he reached out to gently wrap his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder. "This is Dave."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went into this fic with the idea that it was influenced by my favorite Marvel movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. So, some of the inspiration for this fic came from that movie.
> 
> There will likely be a fourth part. I have to write a sequel to Somebody to Love and a Stranger Things fic, so I'm not sure when I'll get to it (hopefully I get to it), but just know it's planned. I've honestly been feeling very down lately and my confidence is shot where my writing is concerned, but I'm going to try my best. Until then, so long and thanks for all the fish. 💖


End file.
